September 05, 2012

Chew Tobacco Rag (MP3s)

What was 1951's loopiest and most contagious hillbilly novelty song? Judging by the number of cover versions it spawned, it had to be Chew Tobacco Rag, written and originally recorded by Texan Billy Briggs for the Imperial label. Briggs' version never managed to chart, but Zeb Turner's version, released on King, made it all the way to within spitting distance of topping the charts, finally losing momentum at #8.